Wolves cross-stitch

Finished this one the other day. I think I started it some time in August. Anyway, it's a Christmas present for some of R.'s friends. I hope they like it.

Project updates

Alright, so I started this coat a couple months ago. It is paired with the skirt I posted a while back. In the picture it looks like it's falling apart but that's only because I have yet to sew the sleeves on. I'm actually really close to being done, I just need a day where I feel like sewing again. Doing this, I learned how to understitch. I also have paid very close attention to quality and making sure I iron everything so it turns out as good as I can get it. Normally I'm too lazy for that. I guess that's why it's taking so long.



And this is the doily I've been making for about 2 months or so now. I have about 1/2 a round to go, but since it's so big it takes FOREVER. It'll be so nice when it's blocked though.

Soap Experiments

I am not so good at posting lately. I've been working on things slowly, particularly soap. I made two batches recently. The first was a coconut and olive oil soap with lemongrass essential oil and ground mint. It smells really good. I sent most of it to my mom, since she said she likes that scent. The color is natural from the mint, a dark grey-green.


I know, looks disgusting, right?



The second batch I decided to try something new. Almond oil was on sale, so I tried some of that, along with coconut and olive oil. I also had just gotten some mica pigment so I thought I'd throw that in, and try to swirl it while I was at it. Well, the swirling didn't quite work out but I like the colour. I didn't add a scent since it was an experimental soap and I didn't have any other scents to experiment with.

Meadery

Part of my craft room has now been devoted to brewing mead. It's not my project, but R's. The first batch has been bottled and is now aging. Here's a couple pictures of the next batches. Mead is made, at its simplest, from the fermentation of honey. Other things can be added to it like fruit and spices to make different kinds. The latest is blueberry.

WIPs for April

I haven't actually started much lately, since I've had so many things on the go. Here's a few of the in progress projects: Watermelon socks! I'm half done the second one. They're a bit tight though, with the way the heel is done, so I'm probably going to give them to someone with smaller feet. Okay, so this isn't anything started quite yet, but this is the next thing I'll begin. I'm not entirely sure what this ball will end up being, possibly armwarmers, possibly socks, but I love rainbows. So it'll be for me. This is part of a package I'm putting together for my new nephew. I've got some booties ready for buttons, too. Unforunately, the other grandma (not my mom) is a knitter and so they need more knitted goods like a hole in the head, but I want to contribute. I've also got most of a sweater (ugly, as usual, and patternless) done, and I've started working on a present for my brother and his wife for their wedding, but I can't show that one just yet.

What do you see?

I like drawing abstract things. I usually start with a doodle, which becomes more elaborate as I continue. Eventually it will start to look like something, and then I'll go with that. Most of the time though I just add in what I think it needs, and it ends up looking okay. Sometimes text is involved, which means it's not so abstract. It's funny though--I never liked abstract art when I was younger, but now I quite enjoy it. To me, my drawings are like a rorschach ink blot. You can look at it and see anything, and that will tell you something about your current state of mind. I also think the act of drawing them is a similar tool. Sometimes, when I'm confused about something, I'll just start doodling and in the eventual picture I'll see how I feel, and sometimes the confusion will lessen. Anyway, here is my latest. What does it look like to you?

Soooaaaaap

I made soap again a few weeks ago; this time I tried to dye it again and it sort of behaved, though is more of a yellow brown than what I was going for, which was green. Note to self: green and blue food colouring dyes do not work with lye. The scent is there though, which is a green tea and cucumber essential oil I found at Michael's. I don't think I really like it much, but it's better than the scent of the regular soap, which I'm now sick of. It's also not done reacting yet. Last night I tested the pH and it's still a wee bit basic. Though I may have had too much soap in the water. I'll have to try it again on the weekend, when it's officially done curing. Next soap flavours I'm going to try: chocolate; vanilla; lemongrass and sage; many of other things.

New Cross-stitch

Another anime-type cross-stitch. I thought this one was really cute. Again, I found it at the Pelican Market. I wonder if they have more... they're relatively cheap and a nice thing to do when watching TV or whatever, when I'm sick of knitting and crocheting. I keep wanting to make up my own cross stitch patterns. Maybe one day I will! For now I'll make these, which I will probably never do anything with.

Citron Shawl

So, I felt like making another shawl, and although I had a different pattern in mind, this one turned out to be the one I made. It's somewhat small but that's all the ball of wool allowed for. I just need to find a nice pin for it, and then I can do something with it. I don't know what yet. Made using 1 skein of Zauberball in Cafe Flair. Pattern can be found on knitty.com

Recently...

I have made stuff, I just haven't had time to take pictures and post it. Things I've made (or are in progress) recently are: -Citron shawl (knit) -More soap -Laundry detergent -Watermelon socks -Tiny pants for baby -Brown sweater object -Easter surprise I've also planted seeds in an indoor greenhouse thingy. They're growing like crazy! I love plants. R. has also been making mead (fermented honey, similar to wine and beer). Three batches so far, and the first turned out okay. He's also just finished a nice shelf for the bedroom. I think I might take pictures of these things and post them, when I get around to it. We're a crafty pair ;)

Steampunk-inspired dress

I love making random things, especially dresses. I'm not quite sure why I decided to make this, other than I thought it looked neat. It's a green dress made up of a skirt, bustier, and coat. It's simplicity pattern #2172. I chose a dark and light green broadcloth for the skirt and coat. I started with the skirt, thinking it would be the easiest, but I was wrong. Those pleats... pleats are the devil, especially when you have to do like 9 meters of them.
I finished the skirt and I'm pleased with how it turned out. It's even the correct length even though I did not alter it to be shorter!
I started the coat and got to the point where all the outer pieces were together aside from the sleeves, and that's where I am at the moment. I want to work more on it but I'm sick so it will have to wait. I haven't even bought the cloth for the bustier or ruffles yet. Not sure what would go with it.

A lesson in colours?

So to continue my soap adventures... today I unmolded the soap and cut it into bars. I was quite surprised to see that the soap had turned purple. Yes, apparently blue + yellow = purple. Who knew! It's unscented though, so unfortunately the smelly stuff I put in did not work. But the colours worked, just not how they were supposed to.



Now, to let the bars cure for about a month. Then comes testing, if I'm not too afraid of what the lye has done to the dye.

More cross-stitch

I've done a couple more of these cute cross stitch designs. I think they're from a company called Yicai in Korea but I can't really remember. I get them from a local grocery store here. I just bought another one to do of the same type. It's nice and mind-numbing.

Soap-making Adventures

I decided to make some soap today. A while ago, I bought some dye and scent to use so I thought now I'd experiment with it. I took a few pictures of what I did:





The end product looks yucky so far because the dyes and the lye did not go together. So it's kind of a brown mess. And I'm not sure the scent took either. I put quite a bit in, but it didn't really smell that much. So, this is perhaps a failure. I will have a better idea of what happened when I take it out of the mold in a couple of days and cut it.

I like making soap. Soon, I am going to try making detergent for clothes, and conditioning rinses for my hair. Not just because I love making useful things and saving money, but because I want to know what kind of chemicals I'm using for such things. I don't want all these other chemicals that aren't necessarily good for me being all over my skin on a daily basis.

Adorable Reindeer

I found this pattern on ravelry and I knew I absolutely had to make one of these. I actually finished this over the Christmas break, but couldn't think of someone to give it to, and honestly, I wanted to keep it because I love cute plush toys. I want to make some more.

I think I made it better though. The original calls for a bobble kind of nose on the top (a la Rudolf) which looks stupid to me so I embroidered a more natural nose. Which is still a little off but I think it's cute anyway.